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The Senate, along with most of the American population, was very skeptical about the wisdom of Seward’s purchase. It was mocked as "Seward’s Folly," "Seward’s Icebox," and "Seward’s Polar Bear Garden. Newspapers mocked the acquisition as a wasteland of ice and snow. House Republicans tried to block funding, arguing Congress was throwing money at a rugged wilderness area with no valuable resources. The territory seemed to prove critics right at first. Early American settlers found harsh conditions, limited infrastructure, and challenging weather. Alaska felt like an expensive burden rather than a strategic asset.